A controversial bill that would have required mandatory spaying and neutering of most California cats and dogs was shelved on Wednesday.

Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, pulled AB 1634 at a hearing of the state Senate Local Government Committee at the Capitol.

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"It pains me to have to tell everybody this, but I've been reading the handwriting on the wall and it doesn't look like we have the votes," Levine said as he announced his decision on KCRA 3.

Levine said the legislation is needed to curb the number of unwanted pets that end up being euthanized. But the bill is opposed by a number of dog breeder organizations.

Levine said he was disappointed and saddened that he had to drop the bill for now.

"Not only, as you know, do we have ... hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats suffering in animal shelters, but we're spending hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money on that, and unfortunately the tactics of my opponents have just made it such that we can't move on," Levine said.

Levine said he plans to introduce similar legislation again next year.